Gustavianum Museum and a Walk by the River

A few days ago we visited Sweden's largest university museum, the Gustavianum Museum. We looked around the Egyptian antiquities room on our own for a while and then joined an English language tour of the entire building. The tour was led by one of the charming and knowledgeable young women Sweden seems to produce by the thousands. She is an undergraduate at Uppsala University and leads tours in her spare time.

Much of the museum is devoted to Sweden's scientific contributions, of which they are justifiably proud. World renowned scientists Linnaeus, Celsius, and Ångström all did most of their work here in Uppsala and this museum celebrates them and their accomplishments.

The Anatomical Theatre was built in the 1660s and was used until 1766 to educate medical students (and the paying public) via the dissection of executed criminals and, when no one had been hung lately, the dissection of animals. According to our guide, more of the spectators were ghoulish people with money than were students. The theatre has VERY steep sides with each level having just enough room to stand so that everyone could have a clear view of the entrails, etc. There were high railings in front of each level so if anyone keels over from the sights and smells, they won't end up on top of the corpse. Sometimes the professor would hand an organ around so everyone could get a close look at a heart, gizzard, or what-have-you.

The Anatomical Theater

The ceiling of the Anatomical Theater. The design allows for natural light to allow the clearest possible view of your cadaver.

We also got a look at the Augsburg Art Cabinet, a Cabinet of Curiosities from the 17th century. It is a bit hard to describe but the cabinet contains all kinds of art and gadgetry from that time and its contents are on display in separate cases. There are thousands of objects to be seen, from gloves to tiny paintings to a self-playing keyboard instrument to a mirror anamorphosis.  Rich people in the 17th century, as well as today, could sure make things happen.

The Augsburg Art Cabinet

Getting back to Sweden's scientific accomplishments, here are a few significant objects we saw:

A thermometer built by Anders Celsius himself. Originally, 100 was freezing and 0 was boiling but common sense prevailed and it was later reversed. Note the early copy of Newton's Principia at upper left.

An 18th century refracting telescope purchased by the Uppsala Observatory in 1779.

Anders Ångström without whom we would have no name for one ten-billionth of a meter.

When CJ saw this Osborne 1 "portable" computer on display, she said "I told you so!" Translation "I KNEW we should have kept ours! It would be worth a lot of money!" Not.

I'm not sure why this Osborne 1 is on display. Maybe so we could read the funny story on the description in which a customs agent says "What the hell is that!"

On the way home we came across this street named for one of Uppsala's favorite sons.

Later, we went for a walk along the river just south of downtown Uppsala. Lots of boats both for work and for play.

Pleasant place, Uppsala.